As a result of the miniaturization of a semiconductor circuit pattern, the resolution of a semiconductor exposure apparatus has reached the limitations thereof, so that it is getting difficult to form a designed pattern on a wafer. There has been an increase in the incidence of a systematic defect such as a deviation in pattern-line (trace) width from a design value, or a change in the shape of a pattern tip. As occurrence of the systematic defect is in common with all the dies, it has been difficult to detect a defect by a die to die (or referred to as D2D) inspection whereby a defect is inspected by comparison of a die under inspection with a die adjacent thereto, this inspection representing the technique according to the prior art. Accordingly, there has been an increase in the need for a die to database (or referred to as D2DB) inspection whereby a defect is inspected by comparison of a die under inspection with the design data.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-185019, there is disclosed an inspection method whereby an inspection region is divided in an array-like fashion to determine whether or not respective array regions include a pattern capable of registration from design data, registration is executed starting from an array region capable of registration after acquisition of an actual image, and the result of registration of a nearby array capable of registration is applied to an array region incapable of registration to thereby carry out inspection.